


The Party (Theyna)

by Fishy5891



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Camp Jupiter (Percy Jackson), Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Light Angst, M/M, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn, Smut, Theyna - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-01 19:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14527299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishy5891/pseuds/Fishy5891
Summary: A Thalia x Reyna fic set during a party in New Rome.Eventual fluff. Rating is for language (some swearing is featured) and for smut in later chapters - the first chapter only has very mild mature suggestions. Chapter 3 is where the themes start to get mature.





	1. A Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!
> 
> So this is my first fanfiction, I hope it's not entirely shit! If it is constructive criticism is welcome, especially if my grammar is terrible or Ive gotten something wrong within the PJO / HoO universe - it's been a while since I've read the books. That being said, this is an unapologetic Thalia x Reyna (femslash) work, where the LGBT community is welcome, so if you want to criticise on that front please don't :)
> 
> This should be mostly cannon (aside from the obvious Thalia / Hunter / Relationship part), set around two years after the war with Gaea. This doesn't follow any events from the Trials of Apollo series, because i haven't gotten round to reading those yet.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

The party was boring; Reyna wasn’t surprised. The too bright lights were dazzling her eyes and the music was giving her a headache. The other campers weren’t doing much to help her situation – at the rate they were drinking, Reyna was impressed so many were still able to stand up. At this point, even paperwork was sounding like a preferable option. She groaned inwardly. Ok, maybe not. Still, Reyna was looking forward for the evening to be over. If she didn’t get back too late, there would still be time to get ahead on the endless paperwork that came with being a praetor. That would free up some time tomorrow to catch-up with the Greeks. Satisfied with her plan, Reyna forced a smile and tried to look like she was having a good time. It was the two-year anniversary of the battle with Gaea, and like fuck was she going to look miserable and ruin the atmosphere for everyone else. Looking at the time, Reyna sighed: only two more hours before she could make a polite get-away.

Camp Jupiter was hosting the party, and Reyna had thrown herself into planning the event with the same determination she put into her training; she’d wanted the evening to be perfect. Of course, Frank had helped. Over the last two years he’d grown into his role as Praetor, and Reyna was starting to think losing Jason to the Greeks might not have been so bad after all. She was realising she could rely on Frank as much as she’d ever relied on Jason, and she was rather enjoying not having to do everything by herself. Not to mention, he’d done a fantastic job with the Mess Hall tonight. The Venus campers, under Frank and Hazel’s guidance, had arranged the pavilion so skilfully it might have been something out of a cheesy romantic comedy, rather than the camps rustic Mess Hall. Even _Reyna_ was impressed, and she _hated_ parties. The string lights hung delicately against the walls; glowing softly against the hard Roman columns and the darkening evening sky. Space was left in the centre of the hall, leaving room for those who wanted to dance. There were also areas dedicated to food and drink –some beverages on that table were _not_ suited to the younger demigods – and there was plenty of space to sit around the edges. That’s where Reyna found herself now.

Nursing a punch that she wasn’t disappointed to confirm was spiked, she had bid her polite goodbye to Seven and Nico and sat against the edge of the room, back against the wall. She was pleased to see everybody so relaxed, especially Frank. He deserved a break. He was dancing with Hazel in the centre of the room near the rest of the Seven, and was achieving surprising grace given his large stature compared to Hazel’s tiny one. Percy was twirling Annabeth around with little care for who was watching (or _who was in the way_ ), and Annabeth was rolling her eyes at him affectionately. Moving her eyes across the hall Reyna found Jason and Piper. They were dancing with real elegance and technique; something to do with being a daughter of Aphrodite, she assumed. She smiled when she saw how happy they looked, flirting like they weren’t in a _very_ public place. She wasn’t sad about her and Jason’s lack of relationship anymore; she’d made peace with herself about that some time ago. At the end of the day, she was glad to leave that pointless longing behind her.

Scanning the hall again she caught Leo in the corner of her eye. He seemed to prefer hanging with his cabin-mates sooner than dance – a good call, in Reyna's opinion - and he cracked a joke that sent the Hephaestus cabin and more than a few of her legionnaires into hysterics, ginning like a maniac the entire time. Even Nico, a few feet away and leaning against the wall, had decided to attend, and she made a mental note to find him over the next few days and say hello. She was pleased to find him as healthy and happy as she’d ever seen him, enjoying the company of a blonde-haired boy that Reyna assumed could only be a child of Apollo. She grinned, and decided to ask Nico about that, too.

Reyna’s legs didn’t quite reach the floor from her position sitting on the table, and as she swung her legs idly the deep purple dress that hung at her ankles drifted in the late-evening breeze. Though her bare back pressed against the cold wall, it did little to keep her awake. She felt herself go into a kind of torpor, relaxing and drowning out the buzz of the party as her eyes half-closed, drinking her punch and surveying the room as the evening progressed in a haze. Until, that is, she saw Thalia Grace.

 _That_ caught her attention.

It wasn’t that she was particularly keeping an eye out for the Lieutenant, Reyna told herself - she hadn’t even known the Hunters would come. There had been no previous warning, and their invitation had been sent with no indication it had even been received. Luckily, Reyna wasn’t the only one to notice the Hunters entrance, so her intense gaze wouldn’t be too noticeable; it was just unfortunate she was staring at one Hunter in particular. It wasn’t _Reyna's_ fault, though, that Thalia Grace was so captivating. Her short dress, so blue it was nearly black, poofed out slightly as she danced enthusiastically with Annabeth and Percy. The Hunter mischievously greeted the rest of the Seven, laughing at one of Percy’s jokes before zapping Leo good-naturedly and smothering Jason into a bear-hug. Reyna noticed the sparkle in Thalia’s electric blue eyes and the way her dress framed her figure. _Parties do have some benefits_ , Reyna thought, before darting her eyes around the room and returning to her punch, careful not to look like she was staring at Thalia. Because she wasn’t. Only a little bit. But she was allowed to indulge herself _sometimes_ , Reyna reasoned. Until suddenly Reyna felt like she was staring all too much, despite her attempts at nonchalance. A slight blush crept across her otherwise controlled features as blue eyes met with her deep brown ones and Thalia made her away across to her seat.

“Long time no see,” Thalia greeted and, nudging her own punch vaguely towards the centre of the Pavilion, “having a good time, Praetor?”

Reyna scoffed, both at the formality and the insinuation she could be enjoying the evening. Thalia knew her well enough to understand her distaste of these events. And, come to think of it, to use her name.

“ _Fantastic_ ,” she drawled slightly in answer, rolling her eyes and infusing some sarcasm into the statement. There was something about the Hunter that undid all her carefully designed cool and collected persona.

“Good to hear it” Thalia replied, eyes flickering with mirth, betraying her words to show Reyna she knew exactly what she meant.

Reyna eyes scanned the hall and located the rest of the Hunters, some reuniting with old friends and most dancing in a group at the edge of the floor. “Any interesting hunts,” she asked Thalia, “aside from the recruitment of my legionnaires?” she added dryly, spotting some of the younger female campers staring at the Hunters in awe. Thalia chuckled, causing Reyna to blush and think about how much more often she’d like to hear the other girl make that noise. _And many others_ , her brain said before she could stop the highly inappropriate idea in its tracks.

“Don’t be ridiculous, _Rey_ ,” Thalia replied, emphasising the nickname she only used when she knew she was pushing the Praetors buttons, eyes nearly _sparking_ with mirth. “Recruitment doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

She huffed and tried to look annoyed at Thalia, attempting to stare at her levelly and ignore the fact that Thalia had leaned in closely as she finished her sentence. Almost like a challenge, Reyna thought, before dismissing the idea completely and turning her head towards the hall. People like Thalia did not _challenge_ people like Reyna, she reminded herself sternly. The girl was a Hunter. _Hunt-er_ , she repeated inwardly. Sworn off love. And seduction. Not that Reyna was past indulging in some private daydreaming: the Lieutenant was ridiculously attractive. Too attractive for her own good, of that she was sure. Returning from her thoughts she was vaguely aware that Thalia had continued the conversation. She only managed to catch snippets here and there, humming in agreement when she thought it was required and drinking her punch when she didn’t hear well enough to reply. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy conversations with Thalia. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Thalia was a good listener, and an even better talker. She found it oh so easy to wind up Thalia and _be_ wound up when it was just the two of them and enough privacy to really _let go_. It was nice to talk to somebody that the Gods knew gave as good as she got in an argument. Being with Thalia, she mused, was one of the few times she got to let her hair down. It was just that, sometimes, she found it hard to control her thoughts. Found herself wanting to do more than sit there and chat. See what other, significantly more indecent _activities_ they could get up to when they disappeared for an hour, as they were prone to during Thalia’s visits.

Forcing herself to snap back to reality, she tried to keep herself properly focussed, despite Thalia’s captivating eyes and face _oh so close_ to her own. She could make out every single freckle on the paler girls’ face. Too many to count, she concluded after some time staring. She tried to control her heartbeat when Thalia ran her fingers through her hair, a habit the Hunter did far too often for her slipping grip on control. She was currently exuberantly recounting the latest hunt that had taken the Hunters halfway around America before they’d managed to capture it, her eyes gleaming with excitement and gesticulating so wildly Reyna was sure Thalia would knock over her punch. As it turns out, the hunt had ended near California, owing to the Hunters surprise visit. Where they’d all managed to get dresses at such short notice, though, remained a mystery to Reyna. She couldn’t imagine Thalia impaling a monster in her current ensemble. She realised too late she in could, in fact, and many other things besides. Taking a deep breath, that going by the pause in Thalia’s story hadn’t gone unnoticed, she determined to keep her mind out of the gutter.

The evening moved on at an alarming speed, as she grudgingly acknowledged the time. She wasn’t quite ready to give up the company of the rather attractive Lieutenant just yet. But time continued regardless, and she wished the evening could go on forever. Or at least a little slower. As campers began to filter out of the hall Thalia suddenly dropped down from the table with the speed and grace only a Hunter could manage; Reyna tried not to notice the pang she felt at her departure. Within moments, though, Thalia was back and holding her hand out to hers with a glint in her eyes.

“Told the girls to set-up the tents by the cohorts,” Thalia said easily, “hope that’s ok, Praetor.”

“Of course,” Reyna replied more steadily than she thought she could manage. She glanced at Thalia’s still outstretched hand with raised eyebrows.

If Thalia coloured, it was well concealed. “I don’t feel much like settling down, just yet.” The girl’s eyes flickered momentarily, before her face settled into the signature smirk that Reyna had grown both wary and accustomed to. “Fancy a walk?"

Reyna removed herself from the table she’d been sitting on and extracted herself from the party, bidding polite goodbyes to the remaining demigods. Once out, she took Thalia’s hand. She tried not to enjoy the warmth of Thalia’s soft skin against her own; tried to keep the butterflies in her stomach _down_ and her expression composed. Thalia led her on a slow, easy walk over the camps grounds. Everything looked so different in the moonlight, covered in a delicate silver glow that made the grounds seem almost magical. She shook her head slightly; now she was just being overly romantic. But there _was_ something about walking with Thalia that made Reyna want to savour every moment; embed the evening in her memory, to replay during the bleak times between Thalia’s visits. Reyna was so lost in thought she hadn’t registered where they were – it hadn’t even occurred to her Thalia knew where they were going - until they reached her villa. Thalia pulled her into sit on the on the stone steps, releasing her hand as she did so. Trying not to miss the other girls touch, Reyna looked at up at the sky absentmindedly as she attempted to think of conversion. She’d let Thalia do the talking all night; she figured she’d better start contributing if she wanted the Hunter to stay for any length of time. Not that that was what she wanted.

“Stars are pretty,” Reyna murmured, before she could stop herself from saying something so stupid. Mentally kicking herself she looked at Thalia, who seemed to be considering the statement somewhat before turning to look at Reyna, raising her eyebrows and looking at her with a slight grin. She thought she saw the Lieutenant colour slightly before looking away again. But that couldn’t be right. Thalia Grace: arrow-shooting, electricity sparking, badass leader of an immortal girl gang _blushing_ at Reyna? _Impossible_ , she thought grimly.

“What’s got you so wrapped up?” Thalia asked. “Relax, for once. Stop worrying about responsibilities and being Praetor, and start being _Reyna,_ ” she chastised. “Just for one evening, yeah?” she finished softly, punching Reyna lightly on the arm to show she was joking. But there was something in her eyes and tone that made Reyna realise she was being completely serious. She wondered what Thalia was getting at.

“I’ll have you know, _Lieutenant_ ,” Reyna started, smirking at Thalia, “that I’m not worried about anything. At. All” she finished, bumping Thalia’s shoulder good naturedly. _I’m certainly not worrying about wanting to kiss you_ , she left out.

“Bullshit!” Thalia laughed, shuffling closer to the taller girl and nudging her gently. “If I know anything, it’s _you._ And I _know_ you’re always worried about _something_.”

Reyna blushed heavily at that statement before looking at Thalia incredulously, who was looking too Gods damn pleased with herself at being right. Reyna chided herself for being so transparent. She was also busy trying not to think about Thalia’s infuriatingly close proximity, which was once again taking priority over everything, including Reyna’s better judgement and entire coherent train of thought. Pulling herself together, she stared at Thalia, easily holding her gaze as she asked something that she’d been meaning to ask the other girl for a while: “Do you ever miss being mortal?”

The Lieutenant’s expression clouded over, becoming worn, serious and, Reyna thought, almost pained. Turning away to let Thalia think, a gentle breeze ruffled Reyna’s hair, causing goosebumps to appear on her arm. She had no plans of retracting the question. Thalia would either answer, or she wouldn’t, she mused, and there was nothing she could do to ease the tension in the meantime. She remained sure an answer would come, though. Like herself, Thalia rarely backed down from a challenge.

“A lot,” Thalia admitted finally, looking at her for the umpteenth time that night, appearing simultaneously younger and older than she’d ever seen her. “People grow up around you and you just… you just stay the _same_ ,” she elaborated. “Annabeth, she was _so young_ when I first met her. Now she’s older than me. _Older than me!_ And people are going to grow up. And have kids, maybe. And die - eventually. But I’ll just be here. The child of the Big Three that joined the hunt to avoid their stupid. _Fucking._ Responsibilities.” Thalia finished, punctuating the last words individually and chuckling darkly.

Reyna had heard Nico and Percy laugh like that before, too. Hollow. Angry. Bitter. A warning dangerous territory had been entered. But she couldn’t back down now. Behind the anger, she saw Thalia’s vulnerability; a side she thought the girl didn’t get the luxury of showing very often. She understood that, at least.

“Could you leave?” she inquired. She wasn’t sure why. “Would you?” she added recklessly, before she lost the nerve. Reyna knew she shouldn’t be asking. The question was hardly subtle. And the implications were mind-blowing. She half-hoped Thalia would shut down the question immediately. She’d taken a vow, after all. Talking about breaking it could get them both into serious trouble. And the Gods knew Reyna needed to put an end to whatever false notion she had gotten into her head that her and Thalia could ever be more than friends.

Sighing and sounding uncharacteristically put-down, Thalia answered “Maybe. I don’t know. I might?” That sounded more like a question than an answer. Then, with more confidence, “I _could_. I think. Reckon I’d get in a lot of trouble, though.”

Reyna could only nod in agreement. The fact Thalia hadn’t answered “No” outright was doing little to put an end to Reyna’s hope. It was making it worse, even, and she _definitely_ didn’t need _fallen for an immortal demigod that can’t ever return my feelings_ on her list of romantic achievements. Her record was pretty bad as it was. When Reyna finally looked back up at Thalia, the mischievous grin was back. Her stomach dropped: that was _never_ a good sign. Thalia was as impulsive as Reyna was planned, and the grin had only ever gotten them both into situations they regretted. _It was always a lot of fun, though_ , Reyna’s brain unhelpfully added.

“Not that I’ve ever had a problem with being in trouble.” Thalia smirked, pulling Reyna up as she stood.

She grinned right back as she recovered her senses. “I have heard, Lieutenant.” Reyna replied calmly. She needed to implement a rule that prevented Thalia from getting so Gods damn close, she considered at the same time. She was the Praetor. She could make that happen.

“And I _know_ you’re not as poised and proper as you’d have everyone believe”. Thalia said so close to Reyna that her freckles seemed to blur into each other. Wisps of Thalia’s dark spiky hair fluttered in the wind, and up-close she could make out every individual shade of blue in Thalia’s eyes. “I think you rather enjoy breaking the rules every so often.” Thalia finished in a near whisper.

“Is that so?” she breathed, not really a question. A challenge, she thought for the second time that evening.

Thalia grinned like she’d been given the answer to the question she’d been asking all evening. And suddenly, before Reyna could even worry about what that question _was,_ Thalia was kissing her. Hard.

Reyna stood stock still, too shocked to react and too entranced to move. She was enjoying the feeling of the other girl’s lips pressed against her own; the way Thalia’s hands had moved to her shoulders almost tentatively, brushing lightly at her collarbone sending tingles up Reyna’s spine. But then Thalia began to pull away, looking horribly like a kicked puppy, and Reyna suddenly realised that she wasn’t doing _anything_. She barely had time to register that Thalia was _literally going to be the death of her_ before she thrust her hands through the back of Thalia’s hair and pulled her back into a searing kiss. Reyna was certain she forgot how to breathe. She was also certain she didn’t care. Thalia’s tongue ran along her lips, tracing the outline and causing Reyna to shiver. When she opened her mouth slightly Thalia’s tongue entered, and Reyna was sure the feeling had to be illegal, it felt so good. Kissing Thalia was intoxicating. If Reyna didn’t know better, she would’ve sworn someone was letting off fireworks in the camp. If she could’ve bared to break the kiss, she might’ve checked. Unfortunately, pulling away for air wasn’t something they couldn’t ignore forever. She let out a light moan as they parted, their foreheads pressed together as they panted heavily.

When the adrenaline began to fade, and her heartbeat restored itself somewhat, Reyna was forced to confront what she’d just done. She’d kissed Thalia. Fine. _More_ than fine, in fact. _Utterly unreal_ , her brain supplied, still fuzzy from the kiss. Even better, Thalia had kissed _her_ first. That was a fantastic concept. And then, as Reyna finally caught up with reality:

“What the _fuck_ were you _thinking?_ ” Reyna screeched as best she could whilst trying not to wake the entire camp. “When we get found out-”

“We won’t.” Thalia interrupted quickly. “It’s ok-”

Reyna fumed. “Ok! _Ok?_ ” She was murderous now. She wasn’t even sure who she was more mad at. “Didn’t you stop to think of the consequences of your Gods damned actions?”

Thalia flinched.

“You’ll be exiled from the hunt, _best case scenario_.” Reyna emphasised her words. “Didn’t Artemis once turn a Hunter into a deer for breaking the vow? And sentence her to an eternal hunt? Did that not even _cross you mind?_ And you’re trying to tell me that this is _ok_?” She was really yelling now, potentially sleeping demigods be damned. And stupid _gorgeous_ Thalia had the nerve to not even look the slightest bit remorseful. How she could be attracted to such an idiot was a mystery. Venus had some explaining to do.

“Reyna, listen,” Thalia said calmly.

Stilling and letting the initial panic subside, she looked at the other girl. She could see Thalia’s chest was still heaving, and her hair was mussed from where Reyna’s fingers had gripped the soft locks. Thalia looked _good_ , she thought.

“Not every single Hunter in the history of The Hunt has been able to stick to their vows,” continued Thalia, seemingly unaware of the internal turmoil she was going through. “It’s a fact that every so often someone comes along and can’t stick it out. Even in terms of sheer _probability_ , that must make some sense to you. My Lady doesn’t kill off everyone who fails the hunt. There’d be too many deaths. That’s not what she stands for.”

“I doubt that will stop her from punishing you.” Reyna replied flatly. She couldn’t get her hopes up. She had to squash whatever feelings she had for Thalia and _let. Her. Go_. It was only fair, for both of them.

“Lady Artemis will understand, Reyna” she pleaded, grabbing Reyna’s hands. “Please, stop fighting this.”

Reyna knew that Thalia never begged. She also knew the tension between them had been there since Puerto Rico during the battle with Gaea, becoming harder to ignore every time they met, and that she wanted to kiss Thalia again more than she’d wanted anything in her entire life. But when she looked at her the immortal glow of a Hunter surrounded her, and the Lieutenants circlet was hard to miss. Reyna steeled her resolve. She’d been through worse, she comforted herself. She could do this.

“No.” Reyna’s final answer, and she ascended the steps into her villa. If Artemis eternally punished Thalia because she kissed her, she wasn’t sure how she’d cope.

“And if I quit the hunt?” Thalia called back. She looked so hopeful. For the first time in a _long_ time, Reyna wanted to cry.

“If you make it out alive,” she started, trying to convey how likely she thought that was, “come and find me.” Thalia lit up. “But Thals,” she continued softly, “please, don’t do anything stupid.”

 

Renya entered her villa without looking back. She didn’t see the grim expression on Thalia’s face, or the determined look in her eyes. Walking into the small living area, she dejectedly pat her greyhounds as they welcomed her. Hearing the muffled steps of Thalia’s retreat, she let out a deep sigh she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. _Well, that’s that_ , she thought. Moving slowly through the moonlit villa to her room, doing her best to avoid tripping in the shadows, she discarded her dress in favour of more comfortable sleepwear. Collapsing on the bed, she accepted her fate of a long, restless night. She determined not to dream about electric blue eyes, or how the night might have turned out if she’d invited Thalia inside.


	2. Coming Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 of The Party (Theyna)  
> Thalia's side of the story as she returns to the Hunt, unable to stop thinking about the Roman Praetor.  
> Some swearing, but only mature suggestions (and very little of them).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> So this chapter contains a lot more dialogue than the previous one - feel free to let me know if it doesn't flow as well as Chapter 1. Chapter 3 is already half-written, and I can promise (tasteful, I think) smut then, if that's what you're here for.  
> Thanks for reading :)

_“If you make it out alive, come and find me.”_

 

Reyna’s words rang in Thalia’s ears as she bustled around the Hunters campsite, the thin rays of early dawn casting an eerie glow over the tents. She’d made it back here the night before, eyes streaming and fists clenched angrily. She didn’t understand what Reyna was playing at. She’d pulled her into another kiss without hesitation. And then proceeded to yell at her. That hardly seemed logical. Or fair. Then again, maybe kissing Reyna in the first place hadn’t been logical or fair on her own part, either. Sighing, Thalia rolled up the tent and placed it into her enchanted backpack, before collecting the rest of her belongings and sitting against a nearby tree. She wasn’t mad at Reyna. _Couldn’t_ be, even if she wanted to. She understood that Reyna was probably just trying not to get herself killed. The aggravating part of Thalia’s brain suggested that Reyna was probably trying to protect _her_ , too. That made sense, Thalia conceded. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t still hurt.

Deciding she couldn’t mope indefinitely, Thalia rose and collected the Hunters. They were scheduled to meet Lady Artemis in the forests that surrounded the camp – a solid half a day journey - and she didn’t want to keep her Lady waiting. _Her Lady_. Thalia cringed. The only lady _she_ wanted, she thought bitterly to herself, was currently asleep, probably trying to forget the events of last night. Thalia knew _she_ should try to forget them, as well. It couldn’t do any good to wonder about the impossible. But then she thought about Percy, the troubled kid from a few years back who was now one of the Heroes of the camps. And Annabeth, the kid she used to take on piggyback rides now all grown up. And Gods, even _Nico_ was moving on from the past and making friends. Thalia hadn’t been joking when she’d told Reyna she was worried about life moving on without her. Thalia didn’t want to isolate herself and pretend she didn’t care anymore. Maybe she could take a page from her friends’ book and move on, too. But she also hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Reyna it would get her in trouble. _Could it really be that bad to be turned into a deer?_ she caught herself wondering.

“Are we off, Lieutenant?” The voice of a Hunter startled Thalia back into the present.

“Ye-yeah.” Thalia stuttered. “We are,” she finished with more authority.

“Everything ok?” one of the girls asked. They’d all seen their Lieutenant return hours after dark, not uttering a word as she quickly set-up her tent and dived into it without so much as a glance at the others. They had to know something was up.

“Yeah, fantastic.” Thalia felt guilty for lying.

Walking away, Thalia took one last look at the camp that in a few hours would be bustling with life. She felt like she was ripping out a part of herself as she left. Perhaps she _would_ talk with Lady Artemis, Thalia reasoned. She could go back to Camp Half-Blood - Chiron would welcome her back with open arms. _And_ she’d see more of Jason, Thalia thought excitedly; and Percy and Annabeth, when they came to visit too. And when they moved to New Rome for college, well… Thalia faltered. Whether Reyna would take her back and have her in Camp Jupiter was a painful uncertainty. But Reyna wasn’t the only reason Thalia was leaving the Hunt. _Only a significantly large part of it_ , she thought worriedly. Thalia was starting to listen to the nagging voice in her head that had haunted her since the war with Kronos. Maybe she _had_ made a mistake joining the hunt. She was certainly ready to get out of it. She shook her head slightly. She had loved every minute of tracking down monsters around America and had loved the group of girls at her back like they were her sisters. The Hunt hadn’t been entirely regretful, she concluded. Thalia just hadn’t planned to fall for the Roman Praetor.

She didn’t realise how long they’d been traveling until she saw Lady Artemis waiting for them in a clearing in the woods. She was wearing a strange expression: something between pain and disappointment. Thalia hoped that look wasn’t meant for her. The Goddess instructed the girls to set-up base, before looking at Thalia like she had X-Ray abilities.

“Lieutenant, a word.” The short command rang out. Some of the girls looked at Thalia funny, trying to account for the sharp tone of voice.

She ignored them and walked into the tent. _Potentially towards death_ , she thought only half-kidding.

The inside of the tent was decorated with the heads of the various woodland creatures that Lady Artemis and the Hunters had killed in their time. Bows, arrows, and other miscellaneous hunting equipment littered the floor. Lady Artemis sat at the desk, staring at her intently. Thalia shivered. That was the look the Goddess used when she was evaluating her next target. She stood under the gaze nervously. So far, there had been no invitation to sit down or explain herself, and Thalia didn’t want to do anything out of turn; she was in enough trouble as it was. Eventually, however, the intense gaze was too much, and Thalia coughed nervously. Then she steeled herself. She was a daughter of Zeus. She had survived two wars, absent parents, losing Jason, and being turned into a tree. What more was breaking the oath of a Goddess? Looking squarely at Lady Artemis for the first time since she’d entered, she faltered slightly before preparing herself for a difficult conversation.

“Yes, my Lady?” Thalia sat down opposite the Goddess and tried to keep her heartbeat steady. Artemis continued to stare, eyebrows raised. “You wanted to speak with me?” she tried again.

“I believe it is _you_ who wants to speak with _me_ , Thalia” Artemis replied simply.

Thalia blanched. Goddesses couldn’t _literally_ read minds, could they? Apparently, they could read facial expressions.

"I do not know what you are thinking, Lieutenant, but I _do_ know you are hiding something from me. You would do well to confess. I do not tolerate secrecy in my Hunt”. The Goddess said gravely.

Thalia heard the blood rush through her ears, and felt her heartbeat hammer in her chest. It was now or never. “I wish to leave,” Thalia found herself saying before she could change her mind. For the sake of honesty, she added: “I’ve broken the vow, my Lady. I’m sorry.” For she was; Thalia would miss the Hunt, if she lived long enough to.

Artemis’s eyes flashed with anger. She rose in agitation. “A boy?” she seethed.

“A girl, actually,” Thalia corrected, standing up as well. “Not one of the other Hunters, though” she hastily added.

Lady Artemis sighed, breaking the eye contact and deflating back into the chair. “I wondered as much,” she said finally.

Thalia breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you need to know who?” She asked uncertainly. She didn’t want to bring Reyna into this directly if she could help it. 

“It is of no concern.” The Goddess waved her hands airily. “Aphrodite once said you and that Roman Praetor were involved in some way, somewhere down the line. I assume she is the girl you are referring to.”

Artemis held Thalia in a steady gaze. Thalia could only gape.

“After the incident with the Amazons during the war with Gaea,” Artemis continued, “I thought was what she had meant. Clearly, I was mistaken”.

Thalia still couldn’t reply. 

“Well,” said Artemis, after taking a breath and regaining her composure, “if you want out, I cannot stop you. I would not want to, either.” She looked at Thalia almost fondly. “If the Roman ever breaks your heart, you will be welcome back. You have been good enough for me to offer you one last chance. But pay attention, _only_ one.”

Thalia finally found her voice. “Thank you, my Lady. That was more than I was expecting.”

“Well, Lieuten-” Artemis stopped herself. “Thalia,” she corrected, “back to camp with you. Your Hunter status will remain with you until arrive safely. After that, you will be mortal once more.”

Resisting the urge to hug a Goddess, Thalia warmly clasped Lady Artemis’s hands one last time in thanks, placing her circlet on the table before walking out. Dropping her bag by the supply tent, she emptied out whatever wasn’t hers: bow, arrows, Hunter jacket, collapsible tent; before saying goodbye to her friends. Idly, she wondered if the backpack would still be enchanted to expand once her Hunter magic wore off. Laughing to herself and feeling far too giddy to be considered sane, she decided that was a train of thought for another day. Looking back at the tents, Thalia realised there’d come a time when she’d miss this place. For now, though, she was going to enjoy being reckless, and _that_ started with finding Reyna. Turning her back on the Hunt, Thalia ran back to camp.

 

..............................................

 

A few hours later and Thalia was walking into Camp Jupiter like she’d never left. She immediately found an off-duty Frank to check-in – she hadn’t wanted to find Reyna just yet, and more importantly she didn’t want to be thrown out for trespassing – before following him into the Mess Hall for dinner.

Once again, the hall had been transformed in the space of a day; no traces were left from the party the night before. It now looked like it always did when Thalia visited: old and well used, but still giving off the vibe that it was a grand sort of building. She suspected a lot of buildings in New Rome felt like that. She scooted next to Annabeth at the table she was occupying with the Seven and Nico, plus another blonde camper, like it was the most natural thing in the world; greeting everybody as if she did this sort of thing every day.

“What are you doing here?” Annabeth asked, surprised. She seemed happy to see her, but the blonde was scowling slightly, as if she could tell something was off.

“Couldn’t stay away from her favourite brother, probably” Jason said before Thalia got the chance to reply. She laughed in agreement. “But seriously, how _are_ you?” Jason grabbed her attention again, fixing her with a look she was _certain_ younger brothers weren’t supposed to give their older sisters.

“You spent half the night with Reyna and left so quickly this morning we barely got a chance to see you.” Annabeth continued gently. “We thought you were staying for a few more days, at least” she finished, eyeing Thalia as if she could calculate what was going on inside her head just by looking at her.

Thalia flinched at the mention of Reyna, which didn’t go unnoticed by the majority of the group. Piper was smiling to herself, as if she knew what was going on. She probably did, Thalia realised. That didn’t help her relax. “I suppose we _did_ leave in a bit of a rush,” she conceded finally.

Frank smiled at Thalia from across the table, and said good naturedly, but with an authority Thalia didn’t realise he could pull off, “Official duty first, small talk later. Will we be expecting the rest of the Hunters to join us, Lieutenant?”

Annabeth got there first. “Are you even _with_ the Hunters right now?” She frowned at Thalia when she didn’t answer. “Your circlet’s gone. Thalia, is everything ok?”

The group looked at Thalia expectantly. She took a deep breath. 

“It’s just me, Frank.” she started slowly, feeling nine sets of eyes boring into her and the sudden quiet of the table. “I’m not with the Hunters… I quit.” she said finally.

The table went into uproar. 

“You. Did. _What?_ ” Annabeth spluttered, before she was quieted by Percy.

“And you’re _alive_?” He wondered aloud, finishing Annabeth’s sentence for her.

“Clearly, Jackson.” Thalia deadpanned.

“Why did you leave?”

The group turned to look at Hazel, who was regarding Thalia with a serious, but not unkind, expression. 

“I wanted to.” Thalia said simply. Hazel nodded, looking at Thalia kindly; the girl clearly knew when to let a subject drop. Thalia was grateful.

“Did the stone-cold Hunter fall in _loooove_?” Cooed Leo, who obviously didn’t know when to let things go. That, or he was _really_ good at lightening the mood. Thalia laughed, avoiding the question by throwing a crumpled napkin at him.

Before she could think of anything else to say, she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by Annabeth. “Missed you,” she heard the blonde mutter from against her shoulder. She smiled. Annabeth had been her best friend, and she was glad to see nothing much had changed, even if they were a similar age now.

“Are you coming back to camp?” Piper asked inquisitively as she munched on her veggie burger.

“If Chiron will have me back, yeah” Thalia replied. “There should be space in Cabin 1, yeah Jason?” she asked. He shot her a thumbs-up in reply, an ear-splitting grin on his face.

“I think I might come with you on some of your trips back here, though.” Thalia continued. “As long as that’s ok with you, Frank?” she finished, looking to the Praetor for approval.

Frank grinned in agreement and Piper smirked, as if she knew _exactly_ why Thalia would want to come back to the Romans. “I’ll Iris message Chiron later, then.” she offered.

Thalia thanked Piper gratefully, thankful to have one less thing on her To-Do List. She thought it would be nice to get to know Piper some more - she _was_ dating her little brother, after all. _And_ Thalia had heard countless stories of how lethal the Piper was; she was excited to find out for herself.

Thalia grabbed some food before turning her attention to the conversation at the table. She watched amusedly with the others when Percy indignantly sent a spray of water shooting across the table at Piper, who suggested that New York’s pizza was worse than Chicago’s. Piper responded by charmspeaking Percy into pouring the water over his own head, instead. When Leo and Jason laughed, the son of Poseidon soaked them both, and Leo shot back a small fireball that only _just_ missed Thalia. She decided to spark him back in retaliation. It was only fair. Only after a good-natured glare from Annabeth - who loved it really, Thalia was sure - did they all calm down. Frank seemed grateful that an all-out war between some of the most powerful demigods of their generation had been prevented from occurring in his Mess Hall. Thalia couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. _Last night had been pretty great_ , her brain suggested. Fighting down a blush so she didn’t embarrass herself, she saw Nico rolling his eyes at the rest of them.

“Didn’t want to summon any zombies, Death Boy?” Thalia asked as Percy dried everyone off.

“Skeletons, actually. And don’t call me that.” Nico glowered at Thalia, though she could tell it was only in jest.

“Besides,” the blonde boy Thalia had learned was called Will replied, “he’s not allowed.”

“Doctors orders” Nico chimed in, in mock seriousness.

Thalia smiled when Will swung his arm over Nico protectively. She turned to the other side of the table, watching as Leo, Percy, Jason and Piper whispered excitedly. Even Annabeth looked amused.

“Fancy a rematch tomorrow, Grace?” Percy asked Thalia eagerly.

“2pm. Field of Mars. Be there.” Jason added.

“Of course.” Thalia promised. “You’ll get what’s coming to you, though” she warned. “Hunters don’t take _anybody’s_ shit” she said, trying and failing to look serious and intimidating. Everybody laughed.

As the bickering died down and the group became less rowdy, Thalia exchanged some campfire stories she’d heard during the Hunt, adding to Piper and Franks collection of folklore tales. Thalia couldn’t help but keep looking back to check on Nico, though. She was painfully aware of his sisters death, and what memories she might resurface for him, simply by being there. She eventually managed to catch his eye, and he smiled at her. It was small and sad, but he didn’t seem upset. She caught his meaning: _It’s ok. I’m getting over it. I’m glad you’re back._ She grinned at him; she knew Nico would never truly get over his sisters absence and all he’d been through afterwards, but she was glad to see he was trying. Then she saw Will, who must’ve caught-on to the fact that Nico was suddenly absent from the conversation, kiss Nico on the cheek and murmur something in his ear. Nico squeezed the other boys hand and Will, soothed, went back to arguing with Annabeth about the pros and cons of some kind of medical procedure. _Nerds_ , Thalia thought, as she got up to leave.

She slid out from the table and walked round the back of the chairs to find Frank. “Have you seen Reyna today?” she asked him, trying to keep her voice even.

Frank sighed. “Not much. She took the late shift, which means she came to eat early. You might find her in her villa by now.” He added, glancing at the time.

“Thanks” she murmured in reply, before making her way out of the hall and walking towards Reyna’s villa like she did after dinner every time the Hunters came to visit. Usually, though, she didn’t make the journey alone. And normally she wasn’t so nervous.

Thalia sighed. She wasn’t sure what she was even going to say now that she’d actually quit the Hunt. _“Hi Reyna. I gave up immortality and faced the wrath of a Goddess to be here. Please date me!”_ didn’t exactly cut it. It was more complicated than that. Or was it?  Reyna had said to go and find her, but was she really expecting Thalia to be back so soon? At all, even? _She wanted me there last night_ , Thalia thought hopefully. _Until she pushed me away and told me not to be stupid_ , she retaliated inwardly. Thalia knew those weren’t the Praetors exact words, nor their real meaning. But she was still scared of rejection. She shook herself. Reyna had told her to come back, so she would. She wouldn’t have offered something she didn’t want, Thalia decided. Satisfied with this conclusion, she picked up her pace.

Thalia reached the villa and practically ran up the low front steps, taking multiple stairs at a time and clearing them in three leaps. At the door, she faltered. Could she do this? But then she remembered how she felt asking Artemis to leave the hunt: brave, bold, and not as afraid as she should’ve been. She’d survived. And last night had felt so _good;_ so _right_ , pressed against Reyna, pink lips against her own and strong hands wrapped up in her hair. Making up her mind, Thalia knocked confidently. When it eventually opened, she heard the excited barks of Reyna’s metal greyhounds before she saw them, whooshing out the door at lightning speed before wheeling back to sit expectantly around her ankles, wagging their mechanical tails. _At least_ they’re _glad to see me_ , Thalia thought, before she looked up at the Praetor. Her deep brown eyes had widened in shock; her mouth slightly open as if trying and failing to speak.

“Thalia,” Reyna breathed eventually, sounding as surprised as she had expected, but not at all angry or disappointed. “You’re back.”


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that happens after Thalia knocks on Reyna's door. Hint: it's extremely PG.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Chapter 3 is finally up! I had a small break between exams, so I pretended they were over and finally finished this - it'd been 3/4 written for two weeks, and it was driving me mad not being able to post it!
> 
> Like I said in the story summary, this is definitely getting a Chapter 4 and I have an idea for Chapter 5, so they'll be coming at some point. At the moment, though, I'm keeping this listed as Chapters 3/3, because this chapter finishes the story nicely and I wouldn't want people to not click on this because they think the story isn't done, if that makes sense? I know I'm weary about reading unfinished fics!

Reyna sat in her villa, resting stiffly on the leather couch and leaning over the coffee table. Her fingers drummed agitatedly on the dark wood as she stared blankly at the paperwork scattered in front of her. She wasn’t making any progress -  she’d been having trouble concentrating all day. Thalia had been on her mind constantly, and for the life of her Reyna couldn’t work out how to make her go away. _Except for last night_ , Reyna thought bitterly; she’d done a pretty good job of sending Thalia packing then. Reyna closed her eyes. She could still feel Thalia's lips against her own; feel the ghost of her touch brushing lightly at her neck; the way her own hands felt in the girls short, surprisingly soft hair. Reyna wished she could go back. Breathing through her nose and opening her eyes, Reyna shook herself out of her daydream and frowned. She needed a distraction. Eyeing the pile of untouched forms and files that had been sat on the table all evening, she concluded the solution wasn’t praetor work. Besides, it was long past dinner: she was officially off duty, anyway. Reyna looked out the tall windows vacantly: staring off into the distance as the sky slowly merged from fading blue to hues of pale pink and orange, darkening around the edges of the sunset. It was around this time last night Thalia had walked into the mess hall. If Reyna thought hard enough, she could replay the entire scene from memory. Drinking. Talking. Walking. _Kissing…_

Huffing, Reyna got up from the cream sofa. She was _not_ going to go there again, and sitting here restlessly would do her no good. She might be tired enough to sleep soon, Reyna thought, if she kept herself busy with other things for a while longer. Stretching and disturbing Argentum as the weight shifted on the couch, she bent down to scratch Aurum behind his metal ears. Padding through the tiled hall in some ridiculously fluffy socks (a gag gift from Thalia, who’d once told her lighten up and wear something other than “all that poncy Praetor shit”), Reyna walked to the small bookshelf to find something to read. Picking out a book she didn’t care enough to properly register the title of, Reyna went back to living room. She was just preparing to plop herself down on the couch and _not_ think about the blue-eyed daughter of Zeus when three short taps at the door interrupted her. Reyna looked at the time, startled: 9pm. Who would be calling on her this late? Nobody, unless there was a problem with Camp-

Reyna barely had time to fling her book on the table and quash the hope that it might be Thalia before she was opening the door, not sparing the time to to put away her greyhounds. They promptly ran outside, Roman Guard Dog training clearly going out the window, but that wasn’t Reyna’s top priority right now. Focussing on the scene in front of her, Reyna thought she might be hallucinating. How could Thalia _possibly?_

“You’re back,” Reyna found herself saying in disbelief. 

“Um, yeah,” Thalia shuffled uncomfortably, sounding as confused as Reyna. “You did say to come and find you, Praetor,” she finished after a pause.

They both winced at her formality. Thalia seemed to be lost in thought; like she wanted to say more. Reyna looked at Thalia questioningly: it wasn’t often the Hunter was lost for words. _The Hunter_ \- something clicked. Reyna snapped into focus, staring at the girl in front of her. Thalia’s circlet was missing, and Reyna thought she looked different. Just as beautiful, of course - Thalia always took Reyna’s breath away. Just more, well… Reyna struggled to place her thoughts. _Human,_ she realised suddenly.

“Only if you left the Hunt, Thals” Reyna suggested carefully, trying not to place too much emphasis on her words. She wasn’t sure how to approach this subject. Reyna hoped Thalia liked the direct route as much as she did.

Thalia smiled for the first time since Reyna had opened the door. But it was small, like she wasn’t sure if she even _could_ smile at Reyna now. The thought made Reyna’s chest ache.

“I know,” was all the clarification Thalia gave.

Reyna stared. Thalia would need to help her out more if she wanted this conversation to happen anytime tonight. She tried again. “So you… You’re… You just-” Reyna was too confused to finish.

“I quit the Hunt” Thalia supplied finally, sounding more confident in those words than Reyna would’ve given her credit for.

Reyna gaped. She felt suddenly elated, and then immediately sick. She couldn’t _believe_ Thalia had done that. She _looked_ ok, Reyna reasoned, but that didn’t mean she _was_. There was no telling the kind of punishment Artemis might have placed on her. If Thalia was hurt-

“I’m ok.” Thalia interjected, seemingly reading the question that must have blatantly been on Reyna’s face, breaking her frantic train of thought.

“Seriously, I’m fine,” she continued. “Artemis let me go without dispute. No curses, see?” Thalia tried to joke, spreading her arms out slightly in a pacifying gesture.

“You’re not a deer?” Reyna blurted out stupidly. Then, straightening her back and pulling herself together: “ _How_? Why?”

Thalia shrugged noncommittally. “I just told Artemis I wanted out, and she understood.” 

“Thank the Gods” Reyna muttered; at least she could breathe now. “But _why?_ ” she asked again.

Thalia shuffled nervously. “Because of you, partly,” she said softly, her cheeks colouring at the admission. She stepped fractionally closer. “Like I said last night: I miss everyone too much when I’m gone. I don’t want the world to go on without me.” Thalia sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’m tired of running,” she finished softly, looking old, again. And sad.

Reyna wanted nothing more than to pull Thalia into a hug and tell her everything was going to be ok. She wanted to celebrate, too. Wanted to spin Thalia around like they were in a stupid romance movie and never let her go. But Reyna couldn’t let Thalia throw away immortality at the drop of a hat. That was a big decision. It shouldn’t be made lightly, and the last thing Reyna wanted was to be responsible for something Thalia might regret for the rest of her life.

Thalia laughed when Reyna rushingly tried to explain that to her. A genuine, happy, carefree laugh that made Reyna’s heart leap right out of her chest.

“I’ve been thinking about leaving since the end of the first war; I figured I wouldn’t want to stay alive long enough to battle through one of those again. It was just unfortunate that the Gaea beat me to it.” Thalia explained, seeming to brighten when she realised Reyna’s problem wasn’t her being _back_ , but more the amount of trouble she might be in.

Reyna noted the tension leaving Thalia’s body, and relaxed a little herself. _This might be ok_ , she thought with more hope than she’d had this time last night. 

“Besides,” Thalia stepped closer to Reyna. “If I stayed in the hunt, I’d never be able to kiss you again,” she finished, gently leaning into Reyna until their lips nearly brushed.

 _Oh,_ Reyna thought stupidly. “Oh” she ineloquently said aloud. 

Thalia chuckled for the second time that night, not that Reyna was counting. It was a warm sound, but it didn’t cover the uncertainty she must be feeling. Reyna looked into those bold, blue eyes, bright and hopeful against Thalia’s pale face. _Gods_ , she wanted this. Reyna placed her hands on Thalia’s hips, and closed the gap between them. 

Their lips brushed, and Thalia issued a deep sigh. Or it could’ve been her. Reyna didn’t care. Maybe she didn’t mind being responsible for Thalia’s stupid life choices after all, if it lead to things like _this._ The kiss was gentle. Slow. Full of trepidation. Neither girl knew quite where they stood, or what this meant for the two of them. But that didn’t matter. The future would come, but all that mattered was _here_ and _now_ and Thalia’s hands finding their way to Reyna’s neck, brushing there so lightly Reyna considered she might actually be dreaming.

When they pulled apart, Reyna didn’t even _try_ to hide her disappointment, and Thalia grinned at her, looking almost as dazed as Reyna felt.

“Miss me already, Praetor?” she breathed, feigning innocence and trying to hide her smirk. 

Reyna considered pushing Thalia against the door and ridding her of that shit-eating grin herself. It was tempting. But Reyna figured she had all night to do that. A _t least_ , her brain added giddily. For now, she had a few more questions she needed answering. She never did _anything_ without assessing all the possibilities. Besides, it would be fun to see Thalia squirm as she was kept waiting. It served her right for all the times she’d done that to Reyna whilst she’d been in the Hunt.

“ _Oh please_ ,” was Reyna’s very complex and sarcastic reply. She grabbed Thalia’s hand and pulled her inside.

Moving into the open living area and shutting the door behind her, Reyna made sure her Greyhounds had made it back in and weren’t wreaking havoc on the Greeks. She walked across the room into the kitchen area, letting go of Thalia’s hand to grab a mug.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Nah, thanks” Thalia replied, shoving a handful of jelly beans into her mouth instead. “Why do you always have _so many_ of these?” she questioned between mouthfuls.

Reyna wasn’t sure if she wanted to smack Thalia or kiss her. She didn’t usually let people steal her snacks. “I’m surprised I have any left – you keep eating them!” She settled for rolling her eyes instead.

Thalia chuckled, and Reyna leant over the counter to face Thalia, sipping on her coffee deep in thought. 

“What’s the plan, then?” she asked finally, figuring there was no other way to put it. Subtlety _really_ wasn’t her forte.

“The plan?” Thalia asked, surprised, pushing herself off the counter to stand on her feet as she thought. “Well, aside from kicking Percy and Jason’s asses tomorrow, I don’t have one.” She replied jokingly.

Reyna let out a slight laugh - the glint in Thalia’s eyes told Reyna that Percy and Jason were _definitely_ involved somehow, and she made a note to carry a camera with her tomorrow; some things just _had_ to be kept for the permanent record. Reyna did want an answer to her question, though, so she prodded again.

“Be serious.”

“I am!”

“ _Thalia_.” Reyna warned, using her Praetor voice.

“Ok, ok!” Thalia conceded, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly, radiating nervous energy. “Right. Um, well, I figured I’d go to back Camp Half blood. For a bit, anyway. Probably tutor shooting with the Apollo kids, I guess. Get to know Jason, too. I’ve hardly spent any time with him since he came back.”

Reyna stared into her coffee and tried not to look disappointed. Thalia wasn’t going to stay, after all. She hadn’t known what else she’d expected, though. Thalia was a Greek through and through.

“And then,” Thalia continued, seemingly ignorant the inner turmoil Reyna was undergoing, “I thought maybe I’d come here, for a while. Either for college myself, or to follow Jason and Piper when they do.” Thalia took a breath. “If you’ll have me, that is,” she finished quietly.

The world stood still around Reyna. Was Thalia really suggesting what Reyna thought she was? Thalia was asking if she’d have Thalia as… her girlfriend? To stay with her in New Rome? 

Thalia stared evenly at Reyna, and though the suspense must have been killing her, she looked calm. Resolute. Unshakeable. It was a loaded question, Reyna thought. At least they were both agreed on the direct approach. She pondered the concept logically: there was year or so before Thalia or any of the others were old enough to come to New Rome to study. A year for Thalia to get used to not being on the run, and a year for either of them to change their minds if things didn’t work out. Given demigod life-spans and the wars they’d both survived, a year felt like eternity. _Plenty_ of time for Reyna to make a few impromptu _visits_ to Camp Half-Blood, as well. Reyna grinned - as if the answer wasn’t obvious. Then again, she never liked to make Thalia’s life easy.

“Have you?” Reyna replied questioningly, raising her eyebrows and walking round the counter to stand closer to Thalia. She was facing her now. “What do you mean by that?” she feigned innocence.

“ _Reyna,_ ” Thalia growled in warning, as the Praetor caressed her hands slowly down the shorter girl’s body, before resting them lightly on her hips.

“Of _course_ I’ll have you,” Reyna murmured to the side of Thalia’s neck, feeling her shiver under the touch. “Any way you like,” she added lowly, hoping to the Gods that Thalia caught both her meanings.

Evidently, she had.

Before Reyna could blink, she was being whipped round and her back slammed against the counter. It took a lot to surprise the Praetor, and for a second she was stunned, trying to work out what was going on. Then Thalia’s mouth was up against her own, lithe body pressed against hers, and Reyna decided she didn’t care. Thalia could do whatever she liked, as long as it felt as good as this.  It wasn’t long before breathing became an afterthought and thinking an optional extra. Reyna could only tangle her hands in Thalia’s hair and kiss her like the world was ending. Thalia’s tongue in her mouth was becoming a familiar sensation, and Reyna didn’t want it to stop any time soon. They quickly discovered that Thalia was more dominant, though that could just be because Reyna’s own reactions were becoming slow and foggy. It didn’t matter. Reyna let herself be thoroughly ravished by the girl pressing against her, thinking that there was all the time in the world to render Thalia speechless in the future.

They eventually had part for the sake of catching their breath, Reyna still leaning with her back against the counter and Thalia’s head cradled on her heaving chest. After a momentary pause Reyna felt the air being sucked out of her lungs as Thalia’s mouth went first to her collarbone, and then to her neck. Reyna’s hands, which had dropped to the small of Thalia’s back, had shot back up on instinct to tangle in her hair. Thalia began gently, kissing and sucking at first delicately and then hard enough for Reyna to let out a gasped moan. Reyna felt something coil tightly in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored it enough to bite out the threat: “If that leaves a mark, I _will_ kill you, Lieutenant.”

Thalia choked out a groan as they shuffled and bought their hips closer together, and Reyna figured the sparks of electricity that shot through her body had nothing to do with Thalia being a daughter of Zeus.

“Not a Lieutenant anymore, Praetor, but whatever you say.” Thalia muttered between onslaughts on the Praetors neck. Reyna wondered how anybody could sound _that_ sarcastic whilst clearly struggling to breathe.

Reyna retaliated by lightly brushing her hands underneath Thalia’s shirt, caressing her hips before inching her way upwards, tracing the soft skin gently. _That_ shut her up. Thalia began working Reyna’s neck again, her moans reduced to quiet groans on Reyna’s throat. Thalia’s hands by this point had found their way underneath Reyna’s shirt, too. They were at the small of her back, fingers pressing so tightly Reyna registered that she’d probably bruise. Not that that mattered. Reyna let herself explore Thalia, trying to distract herself from the kisses the girl was placing all over her collarbone. She laid her palms flat against Thalia’s soft stomach, splaying her fingers and applying varying amounts of pressure. When Thalia suddenly dipped her fingers just below the waistband of Reyna’s jeans, pressing slightly against the top of her ass, Reyna let out a high-pitched yell and shot her hands to Thalia’s shoulders, pushing her back gently. They needed to move out of her kitchen.

“Bedroom?” she suggested, breathing raggedly and returning her hands to Thalia’s hips.

“Bedroom.” Thalia agreed.

Reyna grabbed Thalia’s hand and led her through the hall to her room, making sure the curtains were closed before collapsing on the bed and pulling them both down. Thalia fell nearly on top of her, managing at the last second to fall in an ungraceful heap at Reyna’s side.

After a few moments of silence, there was a shuffle as Thalia sat up and began undoing her shoelaces. Reyna looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“You want me to get mud on your pretty white sheets, Reyna?” Thalia quipped at the questioning look. “Can’t take any clothes off with shoes on, either.” Thalia muttered under her breath.

Reyna smirked, bending down to remove her own shoes, too.

It seemed absurd, Reyna thought, doing something as mundane as undoing her shoes when two minutes ago her hands had been up Thalia’s shirt. She wanted to do that again. _Gods_ , she wanted _Thalia_ to do that to _her_ as well. Reyna was no idiot, nor under any illusion as to where this was going. That _feeling_ – that _heat_ \- coiling at the bottom of Reyna’s midriff, had only gotten more persistent. It was now a constant dull ache, and Reyna wanted Thalia’s hands _right_ down the waistline of her jeans and her mouth plastered against her own. Wanted to see what Thalia’s _entire_ body felt like against her own. The way Thalia had kissed her on the counter suggested _she_ wanted more, too.

Reyna looked across at Thalia as she chucked a shoe across the room, sighing inwardly at the mess. Reyna was still getting used to Thalia being here, spending as much time as they liked together with no consequences. No praetor duties, at least for tonight. No unruly campers: Frank has everything under control. And no vows or prying goddesses, either. Thalia caught her eye and fixed Reyna with a signature grin, breathing heavily. Yeah, this was happening. Reyna smirked right back, butterflies in her stomach.

Thalia shuffled backwards on the bed, causing the springs to shake, until she was level to where Reyna was sitting cross-legged. She twisted her body around to face her.

“So,” Thalia started, sounding uncharacteristically unsure.

“So.” Reyna echoed, rolling her eyes. Nobody said this would go smoothly.

“Can I kiss you again?” Thalia asked, leaning in and brushing her fingers across Reyna’s thigh, causing her to supress a shiver.

Reyna hummed in agreement, and soon Thalia’s lips were against her own once more.

Reyna lost herself in the kiss. She loved the feeling of warm hands cupping her face and soft lips on hers, and how _right_ she felt when the only thing she was aware of was _Thalia_ invading her personal space and _Thalia_ roaming her body and _Thalia_ making Reyna’s chest ache and insides pulse with want. But something was missing, Reyna realised eventually. This was all _too_ gentle. Thalia was kissing her like she was made of glass, and it was driving her mad. Warm lips and lithe body and soft hair and toned arms were all delicious things, but it wasn’t _enough_. Reyna _needed_ more. She could feel Thalia holding back, too. Outwardly she was light caresses and slow kisses and tentative movements, but if Reyna’s need was anything to go by Thalia must be on fire as well. They were both too volatile; too passionate; too wired with years instinctual reactions and demigod blood for either of them keep going this slowly. Thalia broke the kiss and looked at Reyna, chest heaving and pale eyes dark. Reyna had never seen anything so overwhelmingly gorgeous.

Fuck it.

Reyna removed one of her hands from Thalia’s shoulder to tangle it in her hair, gripping the soft locks and tugging Thalia forward into a deep kiss. Thalia made a surprised grunt, but Reyna could feel her grinning against her mouth as she kissed back impossibly harder. Reyna moved her other hand beneath Thalia’s shirt, continuing what they’d started in her Kitchen. Thalia’s soft stomach tensed at the feeling of Reyna tracing patterns around her torso, but she let out a groan when Reyna reached her chest, tangling her hands in Reyna’s hair and shuddering when Reyna found the skin at top of the fabric. Thalia removed her hands from Reyna’s hair and tugged the Praetors shirt.

“Off?” she murmured.

“Can form coherent sentences, can we?” Reyna teased, losing the sarcastic edge to her voice when she realised she didn’t have control over her own voice, either. She helped Thalia remove the soft fabric.

“I’d like to remove your shirt, _Praetor_.” Thalia managed to get out as the top was pulled over Reyna’s head.

“And I’d like to take yours off, too.” Reyna replied breathily, once again almost laughing at how mundane this was.

Reyna didn’t feel like laughing for long. Thalia in clothes was stunning; Thalia shirtless was absolutely _going to kill her_. Reyna pushed Thalia on her back and wasted no time gluing her mouth to the paler girls’ neck, trying to render Thalia as wild as Reyna had been. Thalia’s arms looped around to slide across Reyna’s back, hands tracing the outline and digging in when Reyna kissed just a _little_ too hard. Reyna moved her mouth down to follow her roaming hands, first kissing Thalia’s collarbone, then her chest, and then the smooth skin of Thalia’s torso. Thalia hissed, and moved her hands up to the back of Reyna’s bra. She paused, seeming to ask for permission as Reyna suddenly stilled, before unbuckling the back as Reyna returned herself to Thalia’s lips. 

Reyna would never tire of kissing Thalia, she decided. Would never get bored of hearing the noises Thalia made or the way she kissed her back, making Reyna’s entire body tingle in anticipation. Reyna felt Thalia’s hands move to the front of her shoulders, now, working there way until they _just_ traced the top of Reyna’s breasts. Thalia moulded the flesh, and it was all Reyna could do to keep kissing Thalia and not collapse on top of her. Thalia broke the kiss and nudged Reyna to let her sit up, ignoring Reyna’s whines as she positioned herself upright, facing Reyna again. Thalia took off her bra, flinging it across the room and wrapped her arms around Reyna as she kissed her, mouth to mouth, chest to chest, bare torsos moulding together.

Reyna was beginning to get annoyed at the jeans they were both wearing. Thalia slowly moved her hands further and further down Reyna’s body, and Reyna was grateful when Thalia began to play with the button of Reyna’s jeans. There was some awkward shuffling as Reyna attempted to rid herself off them without breaking contact with Thalia, but when she realised that was impossible, Reyna slid to the end of the bed and stood up in a huff.

“Off.” Reyna mimicked Thalia’s earlier question, gesturing at the Hunters black jeans as she unzipped her own.

Thalia didn’t try to be sarcastic in response, only sliding off the bed like Reyna and ridding herself of the article of clothing. 

Reyna walked forwards and tried not to stare at Thalia’s near-naked body, blushing as the felt the shorter girl’s eyes linger too long on her own. She cupped Thalia’s face in her hands and kissed her, slowly this time. Thalia responded, hands brushing Reyna’s hips and the small of her back with her fingertips, kissing Reyna soundly. If Reyna had thought she was speechless before, it was nothing compared to now. Thalia’s hands inched their way up from Reyna’s bare waist to the tops of her shoulders. Reyna felt herself being pushed back against the bed, the back of her knees hitting the bed before she collapsed backwards onto it. She felt the weight of Thalia on the mattress as she crouched over her, spikey black hair and shining blue eyes filing her vision. Reyna traced her hands along Thalia’s torso, moving them gradually upwards until they found Thalia’s breasts. Her mouth pressed wet kisses to the very top of the flesh as her hands lightly brushed and squeezed them, and she felt Thalia shudder.

Then suddenly Thalia was _everywhere_ : hands frantically skimming her shoulders; her torso; mouth pressed against one her of nipples, kissing and sucking gently. Reyna felt a wave of anticipation pulse through her and she gripped Thalia by the shoulders, who was slowly moving her mouth further _down_. She tugged Reyna’s underwear off before removing her own, and then Thalia’s mouth was at the bottom of Reyna’s thighs, then the inside of her legs, and then-

“This ok?”

Reyna could feel Thalia’s warm breath between her legs, and shuddered. She could only mumble and nod her head in response; forming coherent sentences was beyond her. 

Thalia’s mouth resumed their sucking on Reyna’s inner thigh, travelling up her leg. Then Reyna felt Thalia’s tongue tentatively lick her clit. Reyna’s lower body involuntarily shot up, and the heat that Reyna had been feeling all evening gained in unimaginable intensity. Reyna felt like her insides were burning. Thalia smirked and licked again, this time trailing her whole tongue around Reyna’s entrance before picking up a steady rhythm around Reyna’s sensitive area. It was slow, but purposeful, and it wasn’t long until Reyna was shaking, breathing hard. Thalia sometimes darted her tongue _elsewhere,_ lapping the soft folds or teasing around Reyna’s entrance before returning to Reyna’s clit. Reyna’s hands had long since returned to Thalia’s hair, and now she was gripping the soft locks like her life depended on it. Thalia increased the pressure, her long, circular caresses occasionally pressing firmly enough to cause Reyna to squirm and gasp,  but irregularly enough that it caught Reyna by surprise each time Thalia did so. 

Thalia’s hands didn’t help calm Reyna down. One was gripping her thigh while the other was roaming Reyna’s stomach, occasionally brushing the underneath of one of Reyna’s breasts, making her shiver. The touch was feather-light, it was but enough. Reyna was getting close now. Thalia’s tongue was pressing harder and the strokes were getting faster. Reyna’s insides were coiling, and she almost felt like she was on a cliffs-edge, about to fall off, but desperate to do so. Her legs were shaking and Reyna had removed her hands to the quilt, grabbing at the fabric in an attempt to ground herself. Thalia pressed her whole mouth against Reyna’s clit, alternating between gently sucking and light touches with her tongue.

“Thalia. I’m-” Reyna tried to choke out.

Thalia hummed in response, the vibrations shooting through Reyna. Her vision blurred and her head rang, hands gripping the duvet unable to stay still. A few more strokes form Thalia’s impossibly well-placed tongue caused Reyna to tip over the edge. With surprised intake of breath Reyna came, her insides contracting and a wave of euphoria washing over her.

Thalia moved back up, and Reyna kissed her languidly, hands travelling her pale skin. Reyna would never get over how smooth Thalia felt between her calloused fingers; how soft her breasts felt underneath her rough hands. After a few minutes Reyna felt more able to move, and pushed herself upwards, twisting so that it was now her leaning over Thalia. She took a moment to marvel at the figure underneath her, Thalia holding remarkably still under Reyna’s intense gaze. 

Reyna started by kissing Thalia, moving to her jaw, down her neck, to the top of her collarbone, and then the valley of Thalia’s chest. Reyna licked at a hardened nipple, and she heard Thalia curse. Reyna smirked. Massaging the other breast with one hand she took the flesh into her mouth, sucking and kneading with her tongue. She swapped to the other breast, tongue swirling the hardened peak before peppering feather-light kisses on the flesh surrounding it. Thalia was trying to unsuccessfully to supress her moans. Reyna slid her mouth down the expanse of bare skin, keeping her hands cupping Thalia’s breasts. Reyna went slowly, teasingly, occasionally brushing one of Thalia’s nipples with her thumb, until Reyna reached the top of her navel. Reyna dipped her head down until her nose just brushed Thalia’s slit.

“You don’t have to-” Thalia started in a strained voice.

“I want to,” Reyna replied firmly.

Reyna moved her hands down the length of Thalia’s body, hands brushing the top of Thalia’s legs before moving upwards again, using one hand to find the wetness of Thalia’s folds. As the other hand gripped the inner of Thalia’s thigh, Reyna gently trailed her fingers along the soft flesh, brushing at Thalia’s entrance but not quite going in. The daughter of Zeus hissed. Reyna moved her other hand to find Thalia’s clit, rubbing it lightly. Thalia jerked and let out a low moan. Teasing the entrance with one hand, just barely entering with her forefinger, Reyna began to properly focus on Thalia’s clit. Her thumb increased the pressure and the slow, circular movements became faster, sometimes changing direction to keep Thalia guessing. Thalia was writhing now, hips bucking and legs shaking, and Reyna moved faster, pressed slightly harder tried to apply enough pressure to Thalia’s sensitive nub. Then Reyna removed her hands entirely. Thalia let out a pitiful moan before gasping for breath when Reyna’s tongue replaced her hand. She only managed a few purposeful strokes, revelling in the feeling of soft flesh and quaking Thalia before the girl yelled, body spasming and becoming still. 

Reyna slid back up the bed so they were lying next to each other, both breathing heavily. Thalia leant over and kissed her soundly. It could’ve been hours, though it was probably only a few minutes, before they broke apart. Thalia laughed giddily.

“That. Was. _Wow_ ,” she breathed, stretching out a pale arm and tugging Reyna closer, as if they weren’t a pile of tangled limbs already.

“Good words” Reyna replied, grinning at Thalia and kissing her on the forehead. “We’ll have to that again sometime,” she added as an afterthought.

Thalia propped herself up on her forearms so she was staring down at Reyna, wiggling her eyebrows. “A few moments and I’m game,” she teased. 

Reyna laughed, pulling Thalia back down underneath the duvet.

“Sleep first,” she demanded. 

Thalia let out a muffled affirmation against Reyna’s neck, arms looped around the Praetor.

Reyna laid there, breathing in the scent of sex and sweat and _Thalia_. She figured if she wasn’t so tired, her head would be _reeling_ right now. Instead, she hugged Thalia closer. Reyna decided some challenges were worth rising up to, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Tumblr as procrastination-is-my-occupation, and check out my ao3 profile for my other Theyna works.


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